Happenings

Lots of happenings the last 24 hours. Well for one - Fr Vincenzo contacted me from Egypt. It was good to hear from him. We banter alot and its always in good fun. He was my superior 15 years ago here at the Flagellation Monastery, and sort-of superior again 2 years back when I was staying at Terra Santa College (a brand new friary in the New City). I say "sort-of" because I actually stayed at the Flagellation but frequently I would also move over to Terra Santa. I like it there because there is a huge garden and the food is good! Fr Vincenzo last month was transferred to Musky in Cairo to be in charge of the Oriental institute. We had a good chat and I was very happy.

Yesterday I got a table! Well it's an unused table from the parlour but it works for me! Matthew Olickal helped carry it upstairs to my room. He's my classmate for the doctoral programme and is from India - smart guy this one! Also Matteo Muneri helped (2nd yr. student for the Master's degree; he's from the Assisi province where St. Francis came from) and Fr Giovanni Loche who's professor of archaeology and head librarian. They're all fun guys and much younger than I am (I'm the oldest student). We cleaned up a corner of my room (which is already a big deal!) and Loche said no wonder I have asthma - the room is so dusty! Jean Paul never quite made it to help me as he slept through the last two days. Anyway he promised today at 11am to come to help do the luggage corner of the room.

Cecelia and Daniel Cavero also contacted me through Skype, so it was good to "talk" to them from Spain.

Osvalda our librarian is having a cataract operation today so we prayed for her during Mass. Sr. Geronima said this morning that I'm feeding too much food to the canaries and they'll grow too fat and die - hmmmm I wonder why it never happens to "penguins".

Tomorrow is All Saints day. That means solemn Mass (all sung) and a small feast for lunch. Hope we don't become like the canaries.

Oh by the way, if anyone wants to do a good deed - get me some music CDs (instrumental with nature sounds). Here in the Old City, with no garden, just surrounded by stone buildings, traffic and incessant chatter from tourist groups, it's nice to create a fantasy world with nature sounds and soft music. You know me - I need a garden to survive. A group is coming up for Christmas so they can bring the CDs along. You can give it to Katie. Thanks in advance!

It's really getting chilly in the evenings and mornings. My feet are awefully cold. So I thought I'd better get a rug to reduce the cold from the floor. Right now I'm placing towels on the floor but I figured I'll need them to dry myself after showering, so that's not a good idea. Have to wash them today otherwise I'll be using bedsheets to dry myself instead!!!! Hmmm but like the kettle, bed, shelves, cupboard, table ... the rug will have to wait its turn. Aaahh if only Fr Vincenzo will take me into his friary in Musky - I'm sure I'll get everything there! (said in irony and a sardonic smile).